The Department of Defense has not established an adequate system to determine when single-source suppliers of complex weapons systems should be required to provide pricing data for their products, and when that requirement may be waived, according to a GAO report released this week. As a result, the government risks paying inflated prices for certain unique weapons systems, the report says.
MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree April 24 to form the Air Defense Concern Almaz-Antei, a huge integrated company that effectively would be a monopoly for supplying long- and mid-range air and antimissile defense systems, including the S-300 and S-400 missile families.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree April 24 to form the Air Defense Concern Almaz-Antei, a huge integrated company that effectively would be a monopoly for supplying long- and mid-range air and antimissile defense systems, including the S-300 and S-400 missile families.
PRAGUE - A Czech government-sponsored bill paving the way for the purchase of 24 Jas-39 Gripen fighters stalled in parliament April 24 after opposition members succeeded in sending it back to committee for further debate. The decision not to pass the Gripen-financing bill at its second reading has complicated the government's plans just weeks before the country is due to go to the polls in a general election. It is not clear whether the government still will have time to push its proposal through.
The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), along with the Defense Department and other federal agencies, are assessing the feasibility of making the 1755 to 1770 megahertz (MHz) band of the radio frequency spectrum available to commercial users, according to NTIA and DOD officials. The assessment could be concluded later this spring.
HEAVY BOOST: Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA) plans to develop the H-IIA-204, a higher-thrust version of its H-IIA, to carry future heavy payloads. The 204 version will have four large solid-fuel strap-on boosters (SOBs), compared with the current version's two large and two smaller SOBs. The 204 would be able to boost payloads of up to six metric tons into geosynchronous orbit, and is scheduled to launch the agency's ETS-8 experimental satellite in 2004.
Defense electronics maker L-3 Communications Corp. announced April 23 that its profits for the first quarter more than doubled due to strong sales of its secure communications, guidance and military avionics products. Net income for the quarter totaled $29.3 million, as compared with $14.2 million for the same period last year. Sales for the quarter increased by more than 50 percent, from $461.9 million a year ago to $696.8 million.
BELL HELICOPTER, Fort Worth, Texas Glenn E. Hess has been named president and chief operating officer. LOCKHEED MARTIN, Fort Worth, Texas Michael Fortson was honored recently with the Distinguished Engineer of the Year Award at the 2002 National Society of Black Engineers Golden Torch Awards. MANTECH INTERNATIONAL, Fairfax, Va. Admiral David Jeremiah (ret.), former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been named chairman of the company's advisory board.
NASA's Aqua satellite, which is in final preparations for launch next week, eventually could help weather forecasters extend their forecasts out to seven to 10 days, according to NASA. "We have five major weather forecasting operations around the world that now, on their own nickel, have set up shop to take the data from Aqua during its commissioning phase ... to help demonstrate the utility of the Aqua data," Ghassem R. Asrar, associate administrator for earth science at NASA Headquarters, said during an April 22 press briefing in Washington.
The Dutch government's decision on joining the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program has been delayed again. An April 23 vote in parliament on whether to reject the cabinet's recommendation to participate in the program ended in a tie. The JSF program office was told the parliament will conduct another vote on April 25, JSF spokeswoman Kathy Crawford told The DAILY.
NASA's Aqua satellite, which is in final preparations for launch next week, eventually could help weather forecasters extend their forecasts out to seven to 10 days, according to NASA. "We have five major weather forecasting operations around the world that now, on their own nickel, have set up shop to take the data from Aqua during its commissioning phase ... to help demonstrate the utility of the Aqua data," Ghassem R. Asrar, associate administrator for earth science at NASA Headquarters, said during an April 22 press briefing in Washington.
Developers and buyers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) must avoid "requirements creep" if their systems are to maintain affordability, according to George Muellner, president of Boeing Phantom Works.
Boeing Co. announced completion of a major design review of the radar and identification, friend or foe (IFF) subsystem for Project Wedgetail, under which Australia will get specially modified 737 aircraft for early warning and control. Boeing Space & Communications is working under a contract valued at more than $1 billion for four of the aircraft, plus options for up to three more. The first two are slated for delivery in 2006. The radar/IFF is the aircraft's main sensor, Boeing said.
The Department of Defense needs more precision and standoff weapons, according to Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, the commander of Allied Air Forces in Southern Europe and Commander of the 16th Air Force.
NASA should consider canceling work on the second-generation reusable launch vehicle (RLV) that is slated for potential availability in 2012, according to Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.), whose district is home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. In a statement released at an April 18 hearing of the House Science space subcommittee, Weldon said NASA probably cannot afford to spend tens of billions of dollars on a second-generation RLV that promises only "marginal improvements" over the space shuttle.
Boosted by sales across its military segments, Lockheed Martin Corp. posted earnings for the first quarter of 2002 that more than doubled those recorded a year ago at this time. In an April 23 conference call with investors and analysts, Lockheed Martin officials said net earnings for the quarter totaled $218 million, or 49 cents per share, compared with $105 million, or 25 cents per share, a year ago. Sales for the quarter rose from $4.75 billion a year ago to $5.97 billion this quarter, an increase of 26 percent.
The Missile Defense Agency plans to use a ship-based Aegis radar in a Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) flight test for the first time this summer, MDA officials said April 23. During Integrated Flight Test-9 (IFT-9), scheduled for mid- to late July, an Aegis cruiser will collect data on a target missile after it is fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., said Air Force Lt. Col. Rick Lehner, spokesman for MDA. As in previous tests, the target will be intercepted by a missile fired from the Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific.
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), said April 23 that he is trying to add money to the Army's fiscal 2003 budget request to buy more test versions of the Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche reconnaissance-attack helicopter.
NASA should consider canceling work on the second-generation reusable launch vehicle (RLV) that is slated for potential availability in 2012, according to Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.), whose district is home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. In a statement released at an April 18 hearing of the House Science space subcommittee, Weldon said NASA probably cannot afford to spend tens of billions of dollars on a second-generation RLV that promises only "marginal improvements" over the space shuttle.
NEW DELHI - After three years of intensive negotiations, the governments of India and Russia have agreed to a second joint production program. Under this program, India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia's Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association (JSC) will sign an agreement April 24 in Moscow for co-development and co-production of a multirole transport aircraft (MTA). HAL Chairman Nalini Ranjan Mohanty and JSC President Alexey Fedorov will sign the agreement.
After three years of intensive negotiations, the governments of India and Russia have agreed to a second joint production program. Under this program, India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia's Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association (JSC) will sign an agreement April 24 in Moscow for co-development and co-production of a multirole transport aircraft (MTA). HAL Chairman Nalini Ranjan Mohanty and JSC President Alexey Fedorov will sign the agreement.
Developers and buyers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) must avoid "requirements creep" if their systems are to maintain affordability, according to George Muellner, president of Boeing Phantom Works.
WARTON, Lancashire - With the four-nation Eurofighter program gaining momentum from the initial flights this month of the first production aircraft in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, and from the first service deliveries slated for this fall, plans for further development of this ambitious European program already are taking shape.
TRW announced April 22 that a potential bidder has signed its confidentiality agreement and will soon begin receiving non-public information about the company. TRW officials did not identify the company. The announcement, made in a letter sent to Northrop Grumman's general counsel, W. Burks Terry, indicates the company agreed to the three-year standstill provision contained in TRW's confidentiality agreement. Standstill provisions typically prohibit a bidding company from acquiring stock shares of a target company for a specified period.
TRW announced April 22 that a potential bidder has signed its confidentiality agreement and will soon begin receiving non-public information about the company. TRW officials did not identify the company. The announcement, made in a letter sent to Northrop Grumman's general counsel, W. Burks Terry, indicates the company agreed to the three-year standstill provision contained in TRW's confidentiality agreement. Standstill provisions typically prohibit a bidding company from acquiring stock shares of a target company for a specified period.
